CoCT denies Western Cape Network on Disability's claims over reduced rides on Dial-a-Ride service

The City of Cape Town has denied claims made by the Western Cape Network on Disability over reduced rides on the Dial-a-Ride service.

Previously, the network claimed that they had received reports from users who were struggling to book rides.

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The network said that they were told by users that the city reduced the number of ad hoc trips from 30 per day to 15.

This, after the Western Cape High Court ruled that the service must return to its former operating procedure, which included transporting ad hoc users.

MMC for Urban Mobility Rob Quintas said they are adhering to the court’s ruling.

"The city is accommodating all users in line with our available capacity. This might mean that there is no additional capacity when the service is fully subscribed for the day, in which case we cannot accommodate additional users. This has always been part of the operating model for Dial-a-ride and does not reflect a curtailing of the service on our end."

Quintas added that their next court date had not been set yet.

"Ad hoc bookings are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis, and users are advised to make bookings via the contractor call centre at least seven days in advance, and regular users travelling to and from work can continue to book via the web-based platform or call centre at least three days in advance."